Starting a to do list

to do:

• blog
• draw
• write
• create a new background template for my store?
• new placeholder pic
• be positive

A new start

I like the idea of blogging.  It seems therapeutic.  

Since my first posts seem to be about my job, and the state of my desk, it seems like I should note that I have a brand new desk in a brand new work space.

As yet, completely undecorated.  Shall remedy that soon.

What blog?

I have just realized that I have this blog.
Seems like one would know if they created one and had actually posted on it several times, doesn't it?

I'm almost 7 months post-brain-hemorrhage.  Memories are leaking back in.

What a pretty background...

Not very good at this blogging thing. 

Tuesday morning - No one put the garbage out last night.  Thinking evil thoughts about the men in the house.

Desk is fairly clean this morning.

• Cup of coffee (Green translucent Starbucks mug)
• Mug of water (Owl mug)
• Magnifying glass
• Can of compressed air
• 8 pair of vintage glasses
• Headphones
• 3 Staplers (why?)
• Shuberd's Shoe Grease
• Ziplock bag containing 8 vintage gaudy costume rings
• 18" wooden ruler (most used item on desk, other than coffee mug)
• Orly Nail Armor & Avon Mystic Nail Polish (Love it!) and nail file
• Kitchen Timer (So my 8 year old limits his pc use)
• my Kodak
• Headphones (Aqua) and headset (boring black)
• two bottles of Juicy Perfume
• Antique Spode plate full of broken crayons
• ONE notebook.  Only one.  Amazing.

It's a little after 7 am.  I've managed to study for the meeting, pray, consume a pot of coffee, peruse Pinterest and FB (gave in an reactivated my account yesterday) and squeezed a little work in there too.

This is the most boring blog ever.

Different subject this morning-

I'm awake, on my second cup of coffee, and am thinking about going upstairs and getting properly dressed. 

Trying to meditate on what I read in Luke this morning, and figure out how to apply it somehow in my day.  If only my brain would retain biblical knowledge the way that it retains everything else! 
It's like I'm pouring all of my reading and experiences into my brain, and if it's connected to clothing, or tools, or electronics, it's automatically directed to the "Retain Forever" section, but if it's important, like did I take my medication today or facts about prophecy, it heads straight into the "Outgoing" bin. 
Irritating.

So I'm staring at my desk, thinking about trying to clear it off and get down to the actual wood, and I'm kind of impressed with what the stacks consist of today.  :)
From left to right, here it is, and keep in mind that the desk is only 2.5' x 2.5:

• Iphone (charging)
• pack of index cards
• invitation to a party (i'm definitely going)
• BE book
• two notebooks
• Organic Guide to Compost Mulch & Gardening, 1960 issue
• Organic Gardening and Farming, July 1975 issue
• a vintage Bigelow BST Stereo Eight (an 8-track player for autos)
• my Kodak (current model is red)
• an Industrial Black Sharpie
• 6 pair of 1950's and 60's vintage eyeglasses, 1 pair of 50's sunglasses
• Antique men's pivoting shaving mirror circa 1900, w/wooden handle
• Boxed set of LOTR
• 2 Wii games
• Indie Arts DVD
• three bills (ugh)
• 2 rulers, one 12" plastic with little girl scribbles all over it, one vintage wooden 18"
• a Nikon Coolpix L110
• dental floss
• miniature teddy bear
• my set of mini screwdrivers
• my old man clip on magnifier glasses  :)
• a 1930s bakelite film processing canister, filled with vintage buttons
• a box of vintage Defender Superplated Steel Pins
• a Stephanie Meyer book (not mine!)
• a vintage pin cushion card advertising Prudential from 1929
• 4 more notebooks, yes they're all mine, and yes I'm writing in them all simultaneously
• a copy of Richter's Esenbahnhotel Mainz, dated 1909 w/great photos
• Box of business cards
• approximately 9,000 pens and pencils
• Can of compressed air
• Coffee Mug, with a beat poet cat & Henry's Blend logo, a gift from Jazzy last year :)

Ahhh, now I can get on with my day.  :)   Morning service, then I'll hit the Hospice shop, then home to work again.

It’s been downright sunny for the Oregon Coast this week.  We had garage sales galore last week, and I was able to get out and explore them on a few separate days.

Went out with my sister-in-law/best friend one day, and our intent was to just hit a few.  Wow did we underestimate what we would find!

Within the span of one glorious, tiring day, here’s a summary of our adventures, and most importantly, our haul-

The first garage sale sign we passed was unfortunately placed far back on a corner where it wasn’t seen until we had whizzed by the street.  We turned around and headed back within a couple of blocks.  Got back to the sign and stopped right in front of it, literally about 15 feet from it and still couldn’t read the address.  What were they thinking???

We headed into the neighborhood, a new one to us, and one that we got a little more familiar with than we intended to.

Expecting to find more signs we drove up the main drive, turned onto the next main road and meandered around, to no avail.  Drove BACK to the corner and this time had to get out and walk right up to the stupid sign in order to read the address.  Finally, we were able to find the street, and still managed to drive right by it because there was no sign placed on the street.  Have these people never had a garage sale before?

Anyway, after all that effort on our part, and lack of effort on theirs, we didn’t have high hopes for this sale.  We got out anyway. 

Turned out to be an awesome sale!  Scored 5 designer purses (2 Fossil, 1 Michael Kors, 1 Tignanello & 1 Van Zeeland) for a buck each.  Yes, really.  J  Also got two small partitioned fishing tackle boxes, clean and in great shape, that are going to be repurposed as Lego organizers.  And, did I mention 3 pair of Born leather sandals, all in great condition, for 75 cents each?  It was a good start to a good day.  On the way out I picked up a set of queen-sized fleece sheets for $5, excellent condition.  Not sure if my husband will sleep on them this winter, but oh well, I know I will.  J

Total spent at first sale of the day - $14 (and to recap, that was for a set of queen sheets, five purses, three pairs of shoes and two tackle boxes)

To be continued…

Around here, Friday mornings mark the start of the weekend and the yard sale signs brighten the intersections up as we drive by.  As I was working on my third cup of coffee, I pulled out the trusty South Coast Shopper and checked out the Garage Sale map.  Most weren't starting until Saturday, but I was still able to make a list of nine sales to hit. 

Here's what I found-
First one was two blocks from my house.  Had to drive up a narrow gravel road, and an even narrower steep driveway, but was happily surprised by what I found when I arrived.  Pleasant people, and I came away with a Nerf Bow and Arrow set for $1, a gorgeous house plant for $3, and a 5 piece patio table set with umbrella and stand for $20.  Arranged to pick up the patio set and plant when I could borrow a truck, and moved on to the next one. 

Three blocks down, very promising "multi-family sale" signs led me to a busy sale with people wandering all over the place, but sadly, not a thing there for me, at least within my price range.  There was a pretty awesome US Army backpack, but they were asking $60 and that was way out of my price range.  :(  Said goodbye to the two friends that I ran into at that sale, and headed out.

Drove past a couple of all-baby item sales, and found an Estate Sale tucked into the back corner of a court.  Scored six vintage hats (.25 per), a vintage metal Counselor clothes hamper ($1), a Gilt-edged mirror ($5), a Ryobi Weed whacker that may or may not work, but apparently has "great compression", whatever that means ($5), a book of Poems from 1881 ($1), and a Minolta camera for $5. 

Not a bad day at all.
Total spent: $42.50

---Update - the Weed Whacker works! My brother took it home, cleaned it up, and voila!  So happy!